Coating apparatus

ABSTRACT

A coating apparatus including a programmed, movable member carrying coating means dispensing particles of a protective or decorative coating material toward the irregular surface contours of the front and the rear of automobile bodies. The programmed member displaces the coating member in a vertical direction across the irregular surface contours of the automobile bodies, maintains a substantially uniform distance between the coating means and the plane of the irregular surface contours of the automobile body to be coated and aligns the axis of the coating means with respect to the plane of the irregular surface contours of the automobile bodies so as to be substantially perpendicular with such plane of the automobile bodies when dispensing the protective or decorative coating material toward the automobile bodies. A method of coating a series of articles with a protective or decorative coating material.

United States Patent 1191 Von Gottberg et a1. 14 1 Jan. 9, 1973 54COATING APPARATUS 3,121,024 2/1964 Wampler et a1. ..118/2 [75]Inventors: Horst Von Gottberg; Gerd Schaeier; P Exam," r Mervin St infleisenstamm 21:11-31:11: ExaniirfelLeo Mills tein f i llr f f l g V,Attorney--Merrill N. Johnson, Harry E. Downer, 1 Assigneer RallsburgGmbH, Hellsenstamm David H. Badger and Charles W. Hoffmann nearFrankfurt, Germany 22 Filed: June 11,1970 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl No:45,444 A coating apparatus including a programmed, movable membercarrymg coating means d1spens1ng part1- cles of a protective ordecorative coating material [30] Foreign Application Priority Datatoward the irregular surface contours of the front and Feb 14 1970German p 20 06 878 4 the rear of automobile bodies. The programmed ymember displaces the coating member in a vertical direction across theirregular surface contours of the 'g 6 automobile bodies, maintains asubstantially uniform [58]' Field of Search ..1 18/631, 2, 321, 323, 7,8, t matmg means and the P of 118/, 239/15 62 the irregu ar surfacecontours of the automobile body v v to be coated and aligns the axis ofthe coating means with respect to the plane of the irregular surfacecon- [56] Referencesclted tours of the automobile bodies so as to besubstantially UNITED STATES PATENTS perpendicular with such plane of theautomobile bodies when dispensing the protective or decorative 3,086,4954/1963 Knlght ..118/7 coating material toward the automobile bodies3,561,398 2/1971 Rose et al..... 118/7 2,900,950 8/1959 Peeps ..118/2 Amethod of coating a series of articles with a protec- 3,255,037 6/1966Knight ..118/2 tive or decorative coating material. 3,001,504 9/1961Gengenbach et a1 ..118/2 3,279,421 10/1966 Tilney et al..; ..118/323 6Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 37 37 i 1 34 i 24 23 1 19 1 I 32 l 31 f il flPATENTEDJAN 9 1975 PATENTEDJAN 9197a 3.709.190

SHEET 2 OF 3 INVENTORS HORST VON GOTTBERG GERD SCHAEFER GUENTER JOERNSPATENTEU JAN 9 I975 SHEET 3 OF 3 G R E B S QM 0 FE 6M J SNH CR O SE NSERRE www N COATING APPARATUS The present invention relates to a methodand to a coating apparatus including coating devices used to deposit aprotective or decorative coating material upon an article having one ormore irregular surface contours. More particularly, the presentinvention relates to a method and to a coating apparatus including oneor more coating devices displaceable to each of a plurality of differentpositions during a coating cycle to thereby facilitate the coating of anarticle having irregular surface contours such as an automobile body.

in several coating apparatus, successive articles to be coated arecarried by a conveyor past the coating apparatus. When the articles arein a coating zone, as determined by the characteristics of the spraypattern or patterns emerging from the coating devices of the coatingapparatus, the articles are coated by the particles of the spray. Whenoperating the coating apparatus, it is preferred that the distancebetween the nozzle, extremity, edge and the like of the coating devicesfrom which the coating material is atomized and the surface of thearticle being coated be maintained within specified limits. The distancebetween the nozzle, extremity, edge and the like of the coating devicesis particularly important where the spray patterns emerging fromadjacent coating devices of the coating apparatus are to be blendedtogether on the article.

An article, such as a hand toy, having a relatively limited surface areagenerally presents little, if any, coating problem. The same can be saidof an article having a relatively large but regular surface contour suchas a refrigerator body. However, when the articles have a relativelylarge surface area, it is frequently necessary, in order to obtain auniform coating over the surface of the article, to move the coatingdevice or devices of the coating apparatus transversely of or across thearticle path as the article passes through the coating zone of thecoating apparatus.

However, an article having both a relatively large surface area andirregular surface contour presents an additional problem. lf thedistance between the nozzle, extremity, edge or the like of the coatingdevice and the surface of the article is without specified limits or ifthe axis of the coating device varies too far from being perpendicularwith the plane of the surface of the article being coated with theprotective or decorative coating material, an undesirable finish may beproduced on such surface of the article.

An automobile body is an example of an article having a large surfacearea with irregular surface contours. During a spray coating cycle, theautomobile body presents several of the problems discussed above.

A tentative solution to the problem of coating irregular surfacecontours of the frontand rear of automobile bodies transported by aconveyor is to traverse such surface contours using a coating devicecarried by a reciprocator. The reciprocator is of the type which doesnot move the coating device in the horizontal plane but moves thecoating device in thevertical plane across such irregular contours.Since the automobile bodies are substantially continuously displaced bythe conveyor, the coating device, in order to maintain the approximateproper distance between itself and such surfaces being coated, should bedisplaced through the vertical plane rapidly by the reciprocator.However, rapid displacement of the coating device through the verticalplane by the reciprocator in order to maintain the approximate properdistance between the nozzle extremity, edge and the like of the coatingdevice and the irregular surface contours of the automobile bodies mayresult in a coating material film on such surface contours which is notsufficiently thick to accomplish its intended purpose of protection,decoration or both. If the speed with which the coating device traversesor crosses such irregular surface contours is slowed to obtain a coatingmaterial film of the proper thickness to accomplish its intendedpurpose, the spray patterns emerging from adjacent spray coating devicesmay not blend properly due to, among other things, the substantiallycontinuously changing distance between the nozzle, edge, extremity andthe like of the coating device and the surface contours being coatedwith coating material. A tentative solution to the problems presented bythe reciprocator which displaces the coating device or devices only inone plane is to position a vertically displaceable spray device on asuitable overhead carriage mechanism which moves with each automobilebody in the horizontal direction for a short distance. However, thetentative solution proves to be unsatisfactory due to foreign particlessuch as dirt, dust and the like which may be accumulated upon thecarriage and its cooperatively associated guide and be released by themovement of the carriage during the coating cycle. Such particles tendto fall or float into the coating zone and come to rest on theautomotive body thereby undermining the quality of the coating and, attimes, resulting in rejected bodies because of a lack of a qualitycoating.

The problems associated with coating automobile bodies is more acute ifthe upper portions of adjacent automobile bodies are separated by lessdistance than the lower portions of the adjacent automobile bodies. Forexample, where 'a plurality of adjacent spray devices are used, thespray patterns of the adjacent spray devices may not blend properlyresulting in a finish on either the upper portion or the lower portionor both portions of the automobile body which is undesirable.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide acoating apparatus including means for moving a coating device or devicesacross the irregular surface contours of a substantially continuouslymoving series of articles such as automobile bodies in such a manner asto provide adequate time for coating such surface contours withoutmaterially altering the rate of movement of such articles. Anotherobject of the present invention is to provide a coating apparatus withmeans for determinately aligning and maintaining a substantially uniformdistance between the nozzle, extremity, edge or the like of the coatingdevice or devices and the irregular surface contour of the substantiallycontinuously moving series of articles. Yet another object of thepresent invention is to provide vertically displaceable and pivotalback-to-back rows of electrostatic spray coating devices which coat thefront and the rear surfaces of articles such as automobile bodies.

Generally speaking, the present invention relates to a method and to acoating apparatus including either an electrostatic or non-electrostaticcoating device or devices for spray coating an irregular surface contouror area such as the front and rear surfaces of an automobile body. Theapparatus includes a conveyor for transporting a series of automobilebodies to be coated with protective or decorative coating materialthrough a coating zone. Where electrostatic coating devices are used, ahigh voltage direct current source is connected to the electrostaticcoating devices. An electrical charge difference is produced between theparticles of coating material and an automobile body in the coating zonewhereby the particles of coating material are deposited upon the surfaceof the automobile body. A programmed member carries the electrostatic ornonelectrostatic coating device or devices as the case may be. Themember moves the coating device or devices into the gap or spacingbetween successive automobile bodies. The member displaces the coatingdevice or devices across the irregular surface contours of theautomobile body. Pivotal movement of the member assists in maintainingthe coating device or devices at a substantially constant distance fromthe irregular surface contours of the automobile body and assists inaligning the axis of the coating device or devices with respect to theplane of the irregular surface contour of the automobile body, such asinwardly sloping surface contours of the front and the rear surface ofthe automobile body, so as to be substantially perpendicular to suchplane of the surface contours of the automobile body when dispensingcoating material toward the automobile body.

it is to be understood that the present invention is applicable toeither an electrostatic or non-electrostatic coating device or deviceswhich dispense or emit either liquid or non-liquid coating materials.Suitable liquid coating materials are paint lacquers, varnishes,enamels, and the like. Suitable non-liquid coating materials arethermosetting powders such as epoxy resin and the like and thermoplasticpowders such as polyvinyl-chloride, polypropylene, polyester,polyethylene and the like. For'illustration only and not for limitation,the invention will be disclosed in conjunction with the use ofelectrostatic coating devices which emit a liquid coating material suchas paint.

in the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a coating apparatus embodying theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic top view of the coating apparatus of FIG. 1with components removed;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side view of the apparatus used to move ordisplace the coating devices; and

FlG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of the movement of the coatingdevices shown in dotted lines.

Referring now to the several FIGURES of the drawing, and in particularto FIGS. 1 and 2, a series of automobile bodies to be coated with a filmof a suitable protective or decorative coating material are transportedto a coating station by any suitable means such as carriage means 11.The automobile bodies 10 are illustrated as being electrically groundedthrough the carriage means 11. The automobile bodies are transported bya conveyor line which include tracks 12 and a conveyor chain 13. Theconveyor substantially continuously moves the automotive bodies 10 inthe direction of arrow 14.

Each automobile body 10 is subjected to a spray of the protective ordecorative coating material emerging from or dispensed by electrostaticspray devices 15 and 16 which are part of the coating station. Theelectrostatic spray devices 15 and 16 are disposed on opposite sides ofthe conveyor line and each are faced toward the conveyor line. Theelectrostatic devices 15 and 16 are reciprocated in the vertical planeby suitable reciprocators l7 and 18.50 as to coat the sides ofautomobile bodies 10. The reciprocators l7 and 18 for the electrostaticspray devices 15 and 16 may be carried by suitable movable bases 19 and20. The movable bases 19 and 20 engage with guide tracks 21 and 92 so asto facilitate movement toward and'away from the conveyor line along thetracks 21 and 92 as the surface contours of each automobile body 10demand. The primary function of the electrostatic spray devices 15 and16 is to spray coating material toward the side surfaces of eachautomobile body 10 as each automobile body passes thereby.

The spray painting station may also include an overhead electrostaticspray device 22 faced toward the conveyor line. Electrostatic spraydevice 22 may be vertically reciprocated by any suitable reciprocator90. As seen in FIG. 1, the spray device 22 is mounted so that it followsthe surface contours of the roof of the automobile body' 10 therebycoating the roofand the upper extremities of the front and the back ofthe automobile body with coating material. The electrostatic device 22may include a plurality of electrostatic spray devices aligned in a rowacross the top portion of the automobile body 10 in order to properlycoat such portions of the automobile body.

The middle and lower extremities of the front and the back ends of eachautomobile body 10 are coated by coating material from the sprays of aplurality of back-to-back electrostatic spray devices 27 and 28supported by an overhead member 29; The overhead member 29 is operableto control the vertical position of the back-to-back electrostatic spraydevices 27 and 28 with respect to the automobile bodies 10. The overheadmember 29 may include any suitable programmable device such as ahydraulic device having a vertically displaceable piston 30. Thevertical position of the point 36 on piston 30 of the overhead member 29determines the vertical position of the nozzles and the like of theelectrostatic spray devices 27 and 28 with respect to the front and therear surfaces of the automobile bodies 10.

In the particular embodiment illustrated in the drawing, theelectrostatic spray device27 and 28, respectively, are carried andpositioned by cross-bar members 31 and 32. The cross-bar members 31 and32, carried by pivotally displaceable arms 23 and 24, determine thedistance between the nozzle and the like of each spray device 27 and 28.and the rear or front ends or surfaces of the automobile body 10 andthe position of the axis of the nozzle of each spray device with respectto rear or front ends of the automobile bodies 10. The

pivotal displacement ofthe arms 23 and 24 is controlled by hydraulicdevices 33 and 34. Hydraulic devices 33 and 34 may include a cylinderand a movable piston. The cylinder of each hydraulic device 33 and 34 isfixedly connected to the piston 30 of the overhead member 29. Activationof either or both hydraulic devices 33 and 34 causes their respectivearms 23 and 24 to pivot about the point 36 on the piston 30 to therebyappropriately space the nozzles and the like from the front and the rearends of the automobile bodies and align each of the nozzles and the likeof the electrostatic spray devices with the surface of the irregularcontour to be coated with coating material.

It is seen that vertical displacement of the electrostatic spray devices27 and 28, carried by the cross-bar members 31 and 32, over theautomobile bodies 10 is accomplished by displacement of the point 36 ofthe piston 30 of the overhead member 29. Further, it is seen thatpivotal displacement of each electrostatic device 27 and 28 so as tospace and align the nozzles and the like of the spray devices with theirregular contour of the surface of the automobile body to be coated isaccomplished by displacement of the cross-bar members 31 and 32 throughpivotal movement of the arms 23 and 24 by hydraulic devices 33 and 34.

It is to be understood that each of the electrostatic devices 15, 16,22, 27 and 28 is connected to a suitable directcurrent source 35 capableof providing output voltages of up to 100 kilovolts or higher to eachelectrostatic'device connected thereto.

With continued reference to the several FIGURES of the drawing and inparticular to FIG. 4, the movement of the electrostatic devices 27 and28 carried by crossbar members 31 and 32, respectively, during a coatingcycle will be described. It should be understood that during a spraycoating cycle, the automobile bodies are substantially continuouslymoving in the direction of arrow 14. Therefore, the relative position ofthe automobile bodies 10 with respect to the vertical transverse planeof piston 30 is substantially continuously changing during the coatingcycle. Several positions of the automobile bodies 10 with respect to theelectrostatic devices 27 and 28 during a single coating cycle areillustrated by dotted lines in FIG. 4.

Upon activation of the hydraulic cylinder 30 by the presence ofautomobile bodies 10, the hydraulic cylinder and, hence, the pivot point36 carried by cylinder 30 is displaced substantially continuously in adownward direction from its initial position 40 until its lowestposition at position 45 is attained. When the pivot point 36 attainsposition 45, the direction of movement of the hydraulic cylinder 30 andhence the directionof movement of pivot point 36 is reversed anddisplaced substantially continuously in an upward direction to itsinitial position, that is, position 40. In other words, the hydrauliccylinder is moved into the gap or space between adjacent automobilebodies 10 in the following operational cycle: the initial position ofpivot point 36 carried by cylinder 30 is position 40; the pivot point 36is displaced substantially continuously downward until position 45 isreached at which time the pivot point is displaced substantiallycontinuously upward until initial position 40 is reached, therebycompleting an operational cycle.

As the cylinder 30 goes through its vertical travel hydraulic cylinders33 and 34 are programmed to pivotally displace arms 23 and 24respectively forward or rearward, as required, to appropriately movecrossbars members 31 and 32 to thereby locate the electrostatic devices27 and 28 with respect to the automobile bodies 10. When theelectrostatic devices are located,

each is maintained at a substantially constant nozzle-tosurface to becoated distance from the irregular surface contours of the automobilebodies 10 being coated with coating material.

The dotted line path provided by location points 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54,55, 56 and back to 50 and 49 illustrates the location of the nozzle ornozzles and the like of electrostatic device or devices 27 assubstantially continuously moved vertically and horizontally by thecombined action of hydraulic cylinders 30 and 34. As the nozzles ofelectrostatic devices 27 approach about location 52, it is contemplatedthat the electrostatic devices 27 are activated or triggered on tothereby emit coating material toward surface 82 at the front of thetrailing automobile body 10. At location 53, the electrostatic devices27 coat surface 83, and so on until the electrostatic devices 27 returnlocation 50 where the operational coating cycle is completed by thecoating of surface 87 at the front of trailing automobile body 10.Thereafter, the electrostatic devices 27 are de-activated or triggeredoff. It should be noted that as the trailing automobile body 10 movestoward the vertical plane of cylinder 30, the electrostatic devices 28tend to be pivoted rearwardly to maintain a more uniformnozzle-to-surface to be coated spacing or distance.

The nozzles and the like of electrostatic devices 28 follow a pathillustrated by the dotted line path between locations 59, 60, 61, 62,63, 64, 65, 66 and back to locations 60 and 59. The electrostaticdevices 28 are activated or triggered on" at about location 61 and coatthe upper portion of surface 71 at the rear of leading automobile body10. At location 62 the electrostatic devices 28 coat surface 72 at therear of leading automobile body 10 and so on until the electrostaticdevices 28 reach location 66 whereupon after completing the coating ofsurface 76 at the rear of leading automobile body 10, the electrostaticdevices 28 are deactivated or triggered off. It should be observed thatpivotal arm 24 tends to be pivoted forwardly in the direction of travelof the automobile body 10 as the bodies move along the conveyor in thedirection of arrow 14.

It should be understood that the electrostatic devices 27 and 28 can betriggered on or off" during any portion of the vertical movement ofhydraulic cylinder 30 to obtain a uniform coating over the irregularsurface. The sequence of triggering the electrostatic devices 27 and 28recited above are merely illustrative of a typical coating cycle and isnot intended to limit the concepts involved in the present invention.

It should be understood that the electrostatic devices 27 and 28 arebeing pivoted in a substantially continuous manner throughout thecoating cycle so as to maintain the approximate proper spacing andalignment between the nozzle and the like of each electrostatic deviceand the surface being coated with coating material. It should be furtherunderstood that the electrostatic devices 27 and 28 may be retained atany particular location without further pivotal displacement during anyportion of the cycle in order to obtain the desired coating thickness.Where the automobile bodies 10 have a substantially vertical front orrear surface or both, the arms 23 and 24 may be included with a systemof parallelogram like levers which avoid anpivoted. With an automotivebody design having moreor less vertical surfaces at the rear and at thefront, angling of the spraying devices while arms 23 and 24 are pivotedis not desirable.

A further explanation of FIG. 4 follows. The location of pivot point 36at position 40 finds the electrostatic devices 27 and 28 withdrawn fromthe gap or space between adjacent automobile bodies so that such devices27 and 28 are not in an interference path with the automobile bodies.Displacing the pivot point 36 from position 40 to position 41 causes theelectrostatic devices 27 and 28 to be displaced to locations 49 and 59respectively. Displacement of the pivot point 36 from position 41 toposition 42 displaces the electrostaticdevices 27 and 28 to locations 50and 60 respectively. During displacement of pivot point 36 from position42 to position 43, the electrostatic devices 27 and 28 are pivotallydisplaced to locations 51 and to 61 respectively. During displacement ofthe pivot point 36 from position 43 to position 44, the electrostaticdevices 27 and 28 are pivotally displaced-to locations 52 and 62respectively. During displacement of the pivot point 36 from position 44to position 45, the electrostatic devices 27 and 28 are displaced tolocations 53 and 63 respectively. The pivot point 36 remains at position45 and the electrostatic devices 27 and 28 are displaced to locations 54and64 respectively. During displacement of the pivot point 36 fromposition 45 to position 44, the electrostatic devices 27 and 28 aredisplaced to locations 55 and 65 respectively. During displacement ofthe pivot point 36 from position 44 to position 43, the electrostaticdevices 27 and 28 are displaced to locations 56 and 66 respectively.During displacement of the pivot point 36 from position 43 to position42, the electrostatic devices 27 and 28 are displaced to locations 50and 60 respectively. The pivot point 36 is then displaced to position 41and electrostatic devices 27 and 28 are withdrawn to locations 49 and 59respectively. The pivot point 36 is then displaced to position 40thereby withdrawing the electrostatic devices 27 and 28 from the gap orspace between the automobile bodies 10. While the nozzles ofelectrostatic devices 27 are at positions 52, 53, 54, 55 and 56 thefront end surfaces 82, 83, 84, 85 and 86 respective-. ly of the trailingautomobile body 10 are coated. While the nozzles of electrostaticdevices 28 are at positions 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 and 66 the rear endsurfaces 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 and 76 respectively of the leadingautomobile body 10 are coated.

A slight reciprocation of the electrostatic devices 27 and 28 in thehorizontal plane across the surfaces of the automobile bodies 10 may bedesirable to facilitate blending of the adjacent spray patterns emittedby the devices. 7

Programming of the overhead member 29 and hydraulic devices 33 and 34may be controlled by any suitable device (not shown) such as asequential camming device which activates a fluid valve or valves (notshown) to thereby regulate the fluid flow into the cylinders associatedwith overhead member 29 and hydraulic devices 33 and 34. The amount offluid flow into such cylinders controls the movement or displacement ofpiston 30 and the movement or displacement of pivotal arms 23 and 24.

It is contemplated that each electrostatic device 15,

16, 22, 27 and 28 will haveassociated with it at least one air-atomizingnozzle, as well as means for feeding paint to the center of the nozzle;the paint so fed being delivered to the nozzle of each electrostaticdevice and atomized by the action of air. A suitable air-atomizingelectrostatic. spray device is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,882.It is also understood that each of the electrostatic spray devices 27and 28 may include'more than one air-atomizing electrostatic device. Forexample, it is contemplated that each of the electrostatic spray devices27 and 28 include at least a row of four air-atomizing electrostaticspray devices of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,882. a

it is contemplated that electrostatic devices other than air-atomizingelectrostatic spray devices may be employed with the present invention.For example,

electrostatic devices using a rotating head, hydraulic forcecombinations thereof and the like may be substituted for theair-atomizing electrostatic devices 27 and 28.

The location of the various electrostatic. spray devices l5, l6 and 22relative to each other along the conveyor line may vary withinrelatively wide limits. It

is desirable that each of the electrostatic spray devices deposit thecoating material in overlapping patterns and should not be spaced so farapart along the conveyor line that the coating material deposited by oneelectrostatic spray device will have dried before the overlapping sprayis'deposited.

The electrostatic spray coating devices may be automatically activatedupon the arrival of an automobile body 10 at the paint spray station. Asuitable automatictriggering or activation device may be used to sensethe presence of the automobile body 10. The triggering device may be anysuitable automobile body sensing means such as a feeler switch (notshown) or it may include a light source 37 and a light-sensitive cell38. The feeler switch or the light source 37 and the light-sensitivecell 38 of the triggering device are so disposed that the feeler of theswitch is displaced from an initial or normal position or the lightfalling upon the cell is interrupted when an automobile body 10 ispresent in the coating zone, thereby activating the spray coatingdevices through an appropriate control apparatus (not shown). When anautomobile body 10 has passed from the coating zone, the feeler of theswitch returns to its normal or initial position or the light from lightsource 37 is permitted to impinge on light-sensitive cell 38 to therebyreset the electrostatic spray apparatus through a suitable controldevice (not shown) for a subsequent coating cycle.

Although the member 29 including cylinder 30 is shown as being installedoverhead, it is recognized that the member 29 may be installedunderground. In such an installation, the apparatus is initiallydisplaced up-, wardly and then displaced downwardly to its initialposition. Of course, the underground apparatus must be so constructed asnot to be in an interference path with the automobile bodies as suchbodies pass thereover.

We claim: I

l. A coating apparatus including means for transporting spaced apartarticles including from and rear surfaces having irregular contours tobe coated through a coating zone, coating means including nozzle meansfor dispensing particles of coating material toward the articles as thearticles pass through the coating zone to deposit particles of coatingmaterial upon the articles, programmed movable member means includingarm means carrying the coating means and fixedly retaining the axis ofthe nozzle means of the coating means at a right angle to the arm means,the movable-member means including means for maintaining the nozzlemeans at a determined distance from the irregular surface contours ofthe articles by pivoting the arm means in the direction of movement ofthe articles about a pivot point removed from the coating means, andmeans for moving the coating means into the space between adjacentarticles and simultaneously dispensing particles of coating materialtoward the front surface of one of the articles and toward the rearsurface of the adjacent article in the coating zone, the means movingthe nozzle means of the coating means across each of the spaced apartarticles in a plane transverse to the direction of movement of thearticles as the articles are transported through the coating zone.'

2. The coating apparatus of claim 1, wherein 'the rent source.

3. The coating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the electrostatic coatingmeans includes an air-atomizing electrostatic coating device.

4. The coating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the programmed member meansaligns the axis of the nozzle means with respect to the planes of theirregular surface contours of each of the articles so as to besubstantially perpendicular to such planes of each of the surfacecontours of the articles during at least a portion of the time thecoating means is dispensing coating material toward the articles.

5. The coating apparatus of claim 4, wherein the articles havingirregular surface contours are automobile bodies.

6. The coating apparatus of claim 5, wherein the

1. A coating apparatus including means for transporting spaced apartarticles including front and rear surfaces having irregular contours tobe coated through a coating zone, coating means including nozzle meansfor dispensing particles of coating material toward the articles as thearticles pass through the coating zone to deposit particles of coatingmaterial upon the articles, programmed movable member means includingarm means carrying the coating means and fixedly retaining the axis ofthe nozzle means of the coating means at a right angle to the arm means,the movable member means including means for maintaining the nozzlemeans at a determined distance from the irregular surface contours ofthe articles by pivoting the arm means in the direction of movement ofthe articles about a pivot point removed from the coating means, andmeans for moving the coating means into the space between adjacentarticles and simultaneously dispensing particles of coating materialtoward the front surface of one of the articles and toward the rearsurface of the adjacent article in the coating zone, the means movingthe nozzle means of the coating means across each of the spaced apartarticles in a plane transverse to the direction of movement of thearticles as the articles are transported through the coating zone. 2.The coating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coating means includeselectrostatic coating means adapted to be connected to a high voltagedirect current source.
 3. The coating apparatus of claim 2, wherein theelectrostatic coating means includes an air-atomizing electrostaticcoating device.
 4. The coating apparatus of claim 1, wherein theprogrammed member means aligns the axis of the nozzle means with respectto the planes of the irregular surface contours of each of the articlesso as to be substantially perpendicular to such planes of each of thesurface contours of the articles during at least a portion of the timethe coating means is dispensing coating material toward the articles. 5.The coating apparatus of claim 4, wherein the articles having irregularsurface contours are automobile bodies.
 6. The coating apparatus ofclaim 5, wherein the coating means dispenses coating material toward theirregular surface contours of a rear portion of the leading automobilebody and of a front portion of the trailing automobile body.